Christie Administration Announces New Jersey Awarded More than $30 Million in 2014 Federal Homeland Security Funding

March 24, 2014

TRENTON – The Christie Administration announced today that New Jersey has been awarded more than $30.1 million in federal homeland security dollars for federal fiscal year 2014. The funding falls under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) core homeland security programs. This year, the DHS is distributing more than $1.6 billion to the States for a wide variety of homeland security and preparedness activities.

The state’s seven-county Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) received $21.8 million in funding for 2014, which represents an increase of nearly $137,000 more than it received last year. The New Jersey UASI, which includes Jersey City, Newark, and the seven counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic and Union, is considered an area at a greater risk of a terrorist attack, and thus, received the seventh highest amount of funding awarded to the 39 UASI areas across the country. Funding under New Jersey’s UASI program is utilized to enhance the homeland security and emergency preparedness capabilities of the seven county northern New Jersey UASI region with project determinations developed and informed by subject matter experts.

Additionally, New Jersey was awarded more than $8.3 million under the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), which represents the seventh highest amount of SHSP funding across the nation. This year’s funding is nearly $1.1 million more than the amount awarded in 2013, and represents an increase of 15% compared to last year’s award. As a result, OHSP will distribute more than $6.68 million to the state’s 21 counties based on a variety of factors, including risk, population, population density and the number of critical infrastructure sites. Funds will be used on a variety of homeland security, emergency management and domestic preparedness initiatives in each county. OHSP is in the process of notifying each county of their direct award amount under the SHSP grant program.

“We will continue to distribute all homeland security funds based entirely on risk,” Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Edward Dickson said. “Even though we are seeing an increase this year, given the reoccurring fiscal uncertainties, we cannot be assured of annual increases. Thus, we must continue to maximize investment opportunities, enhance existing partnerships with state and local agencies, and develop projects and programs that benefit entire regions and not just specific zip codes.”

New Jersey’s nonprofit organizations operating within the UASI area also will be able to compete nationally for $13 million in federal grant funding to improve their physical security under the 2014 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSPG). This year’s available NSGP funding is 10% more than the total amount awarded under the FY13 NSGP. OHSP will be posting the FY14 NSGP grant application guidance and filing instructions within the next several days on its grants website: http://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/grants-docs.html. Eligible nonprofit organizations within the 7 aforementioned county UASI region as well as those operating within Sussex, Hunterdon, Somerset, Ocean, Monmouth counties and Pike County Pennsylvania are eligible to apply to OHSP for this competitive grant program. DHS will announce the selected nonprofit organizations that were determined by DHS to receive FY14 NSGP funding sometime later this summer. Funding awarded under NSGP can only be used to bolster physical security, purchase equipment, and train security personnel.

Dickson said that eligible publicly owned operators of public transportation agencies in and around New Jersey are eligible to apply for funding consideration under the $90 million Transit Security Grant Program. Dickson also stated that owners/operators of federally-regulated terminals, facilities, U.S. inspected passenger vessels or ferries and members of an Area Maritime Security Committee that are recognized as such by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Captain of the Port, and that are required to provide port security services such as port authorities, port police, local law enforcement agencies, port and local fire departments are eligible to apply for funding consideration under the $55 million Port Security Grant Program. DHS will announce the recipients of that funding sometime later this summer.

More information about OHSP and federal homeland security funding can be found at www.njhomelandsecurity.gov.

This web site was prepared at the direction of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness pursuant to its authority under Executive Order No. 5 of 16 March 2006, and to provisions of the New Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Act. This web page may contain confidential, sensitive homeland security information that shall not be deemed to be public record under the provisions of P.L. 1963, c. 73 (c.47:1A-1, et seq.) or the common law concerning access to public records.